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The push began with artillery and air strikes on Monday afternoon – and the operation by commando brigades (pictured) began in the evening

The defence ministry said the operation targeted Iraq’s Hakurk region, just across the border from Turkey’s southeastern tip, which also borders Iran

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group is based in northern Iraq, notably in the Qandil region to the south of Hakurk.

‘With this operation, the aim is to destroy the caves and shelters used by the terrorist organisation and neutralise terrorists in the Hakurk region,’ the ministry said.

Video published by the ministry showed helicopters landing commandos on mountainous terrain.

It also shared photos showing shells fired by howitzers and soldiers perched on ridges, surveying hillsides with their rifles.

While the operation (pictured) continues, the defence ministry said: ‘With this operation, the aim is to destroy the caves and shelters used by the terrorist organisation and neutralise terrorists in the Hakurk region’

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group is based in northern Iraq, notably in the Qandil region to the south of Hakurk. Pictured: Turkish Firtina (Storm) howitzers launched to hit PKK terrorists positions (left) and Turkish commandos blend into the rocky terrain (right)

‘The operation, with the support of our attack helicopters, is continuing as planned,’ the statement said. The military frequently launches air strikes against PKK targets in northern Iraq but ground operations are less common

Video published by the ministry showed helicopters landing commandos on mountainous terrain (pictured). It also shared photos showing shells fired by howitzers and soldiers perched on ridges, surveying hillsides with their rifles

‘The operation, with the support of our attack helicopters, is continuing as planned,’ the statement said. The military frequently launches air strikes against PKK targets in northern Iraq but ground operations are less common.

Nine militants had been ‘neutralised’ so far in the operation, the ministry said later in the day, using a term to refer to deaths, injuries or captures.

It added that shelters and ammunition depots were also struck in air strikes in Qandil and Zap, another nearby region.

Turkish Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar (centre) and Commander of the Turkish Land Forces Yasar Guler (centre left) sit next to other commanders as they conduct the operation during night time in Ankara, Turkey

Nine militants had been ‘neutralised’ so far in the operation, the ministry said later in the day, using a term to refer to deaths, injuries or captures

Chief of General Staff Akar stops to eat as another commander drinks from a mug during the pre-dawn meal of sahur, the last food before a long day of fasting, in Ankara

The PKK launched an insurgency in mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

It is designated a terrorist group by Ankara, the European Union and United States.

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The estate is only open on three Charity Days of the year – which this year take place from May 28 to May 30.

Today, tickets cost £9 per person, with proceeds going to the British Heart Foundation.

And tomorrow, the £10 ticket cost for entry and a tour will go to the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society.

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A memoir by Nazi Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop’s son has been released in English for the first time and includes unseen photos of the author growing up in London before the Second World War.

Rudolf von Ribbentrop went to the exclusive Westminster School while his father was Hitler’s ambassador in London from 1936 to 1938.

The elder von Ribbentrop was one of Hitler’s closest henchmen and rose to become the Third Reich’s Foreign Minister before being executed at Nuremburg in 1946 for helping orchestrate the Holocaust.

His son went on to fight on both the Eastern and Western fronts and won the Iron Cross – before becoming a wine merchant after the war. He is still alive aged 98 today.

His biography was first released in 2008 in German but has now been translated into English.

Inside it several images, many of which have not been seen before, show the Ribbentrop’s jovial-looking gatherings with Hitler and the whole family posing for photos.

Ribbentrop with Hitler and his children, Adolf and Ursula, enjoying a coffee in 1939 just before the beginning of the Second World War. He became a close confidant of Hitler, despite many Nazi party members dislike of him, because they thought him superficial and lacking in talent

Joachim Von Ribbentrop (centre) with his children Adolf and Ursula and his wife, the Fuhrer and top ranking Nazis. As the war went on, Ribbentrop’s influence waned. Because most of the world was at war with Germany, the Foreign Ministry’s importance diminished as the value of diplomacy became limited. Far right: Luftwaffe commander Hermann Göring and a member of staff

Rudolf von Ribbentrop pictured during his time in London in 1936 (left). He spent a year at Westminster School after travelling to the UK while his father was ambassador in London. Right: Von Ribbentrop pictured in his Nazi uniform in 1943. He was highly decorated having been injured in several battles on both the Western and Eastern fronts

Rudolf accompanied his father to Britain when appointed Ambassador to the Court of St James in 1936. He spent a year at Westminster School in London.

When the Second World War broke out in September 1939, he joined the SS Infantry Regiment Deutschland in Munich.

In October he was transferred to occupied Czechoslovakia, where he served in the 11th Company of his field regiment. His Company fought in the invasion of France. Von Ribbentrop was wounded in action and was awarded the Iron Cross Second Class.

Ribbentrop also distinguished himself in the Finnish campaign against the Soviet Union and was awarded the Finnish Freedom Cross Fourth Class.

In 1943 he was shot through the lung at the Third Battle of Kharkov. He continued to rescue wounded soldiers and refused to be taken to a hospital, and was awarded the Iron Cross First Class for his courage.

Approximately a year after Hitler’s death by his own hand, Rudolf Von Ribbentrop would also watch his own father hang after he was executed following the Nuremberg Trials, convicted on four counts including deliberately planning a war of aggression and war crimes.

The foreign minister’s son writes plainly about the court’s decision to sentence his father to death, but laments he never had the chance to say goodbye and that the court was rigged.

‘Prior to the verdict, I was brought to Nuremberg for a few days and confined to a cell in the witness wing, to be able to talk to my father for about ten minutes every day through a netting, with guards on either side,’ Rudolf Von Ribbentrop explained.

‘Actually, we were both aware of what the verdict would be; not because Father was guilty in the court’s sense, but because the court had been so structured as to make unequivocally sure that the process taken was directed to capital punishment.

‘After pronouncement of the verdict, which, as we both expected, was a death sentence, I was not given an opportunity to say goodbye to my father.

‘After my visit to Nuremberg and the talks I had there, I made a note for myself of the names of the accused who, in view of the conduct of the trial, could expect a death sentence. My prediction was absolutely right.’

Despite Joachim Von Ribbentrop’s alleged ‘dreamy’ disposition, his son was proud of my his father’s conviction and his ability to argue with Hitler.

‘If he was not ‘eliminated’, as he used to say about the probable death sentence, father wanted to write his memoirs,’ continued Rudolf Von Ribbentrop.

‘I asked him if he did so expressly to bring out his divergences of view from Hitler’s. My main thought about this was of his efforts to avert the war with the Soviet Union.

‘However, during the trial, father had consciously refused to expose his disparities with Hitler before the tribunal of the victors.

Left: Hitler and Ribbentrop standing in front of the Fuhrer’s Special Train, around 1941. Right: Ribbentrop and Hitler meeting with Mussolini. Ribbentrop was among the few who could meet with Hitler at any time without an appointment, unlike Goebbels or Göring

Joachim Von Ribbentrop stands behind Hitler in 1941. He was one of Hitler’s closest confidantes. According to insiders Ribbentrop acquired the habit of listening carefully to what Hitler was saying, memorizing his ideas, and then later presenting Hitler’s ideas as his own

Joachim von Ribbentrop with his son Rudolf in May 1940 after the outbreak of hostilities in Western Europe. From 1939 to 1943, Ribbentrop attempted to persuade other states to enter the war on Germany’s side or at least maintain pro-German neutrality

‘In one of his last letters to Mother (dated 5 October 1946) he wrote:

‘I did not want at this trial to speak about my grave disputes with Adolf Hitler. The German people would then rightly say: ‘What sort of a man is that who was Adolf Hitler’s Foreign Minister and now turns against him for selfish reasons, before a foreign law court?’ You must understand this, however hard it is for us both and the children. But without the respect of decent Germans and above all without self-respect I could not have gone on living nor wanted to live.’

‘Today I am grateful that in his defence Father did not take the ‘low road’ against Hitler.

‘When we talked he regretted the generally spineless attitude that had been noticeable at Nuremberg. Father and I had brief chats with great warmth of feeling, which we both kept free of tension, conscious as we were of submitting to an ineluctable fate.’

A decorated Nazi soldier in his own right Rudolf Von Ribbentrop, now in his late 90s, had his own personal encounters with Hitler, including one just months before the fascist leader would take his own life in a Berlin bunker.

His chance meeting with one of the world’s most evil men came just moments after an allied bombing run had pummelled central Berlin, when the Third Reich’s defeat looked all but inevitable was causing a tremendous strain on Hitler.

‘In impeccable deportment, a sentry of the Reich Chancellery invited me ‘to come to the bunker’,’ remembered the author, who had narrowly avoided injury in the raid.

‘I followed him into the ruins of the Chancellery until, stepping through a fire door, I suddenly stood before Hitler.

‘I did not even have time to present myself properly according to regulations, when he grasped my right hand with both of his – a typical gesture of Hitler’s – and appreciatively talked about my division.

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, officially known as the Treaty of Non-aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, was a neutrality pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed in Moscow on 23 August 1939 by foreign ministers Joachim von Ribbentrop and Vyacheslav Molotov, pictured together

At the Nuremberg trials, Ribbentrop was judged to have been actively involved in planning the Anschluss, as well as the invasions of Czechoslovakia and Poland. He was also deeply involved in the ‘final solution’; as early as 1942 he had ordered German diplomats in Axis countries to hasten the process of sending Jews to death camps in the east

The Nazi’s Foreign Minister’s family, 1936. Left to right, back row: Rudolf (author) and Bettina. Centre: Annelies and Joachim von Ribbentrop. Bottom: Adolf and Ursula. Arrested in June 1945, Ribbentrop was tried at the Nuremberg trials and convicted for his role in starting World War II in Europe and enabling the Holocaust. On 16 October 1946, he became the first of those sentenced to death by hanging to be executed

‘I stood there as if turned to stone, unable to say anything in reply; the impact of the sight of Hitler’s physical deterioration was too overwhelming. What had happened to the man whom on 30 April of both 1939 and 1940 – Father’s birthday – in a convivial circle, sitting at the same table, I had listened to and observed? His body was a wreck. His face was grey and puffy, his bearing bent in a way that looked as if he had a hump, holding one uncontrollably shaking hand with the other, his steps a shuffle. Only his striking blue eyes kept a certain brilliance, but without hiding an impression of great infirmity.

‘We said goodbye. I had not been able to utter a single word, so shattering had been the impact of that quarter of an hour during which I stood before the man who for us soldiers represented our country and in whom we believed, despite battles that were becoming ever more cruel. For more than five years, under constantly increasing heavy loss of lives, we had fought for Germany, our country, not for Hitler. But Hitler was the personification of our country.’

The story of the Joachim Von Ribbentrop before his death is undoubtedly an interesting one. He was an often isolated figure among the Nazi elite, and was occasionally scorned as ‘absent-minded and odd’. In his final report from London, where he acted as ambassador, Von Ribbentrop informed Hitler that he was convinced that Great Britain would fight for its position in the world, information that Hitler took too lightly and would ultimately prove his undoing.

Von Ribbentrop went on to play a key role forging the short-lived pact with Stalin’s Soviet Union which paved the way for the attacks on Poland in 1939, and hence the start of the Second World War.

Far from being uncritical, Rudolf Von Ribbentrop sets out to paint an objective picture of his Father’s role. His unique position throws fascinating light on the unfolding dramatic events leading up to, and then the execution of, the Second World War. Within his book, Rudolf Von Ribbentrop briefly describes his personal experiences including his war service with the SS but it is his unique perspective into the upper echelons of the Third Reich decision-making process that draws the reader in.

Explaining his decision to compose his memoirs, which were released in Germany several years ago, which were often painful to recall, Rudolf Von Ribbentrop said:

‘It was seeking an answer to the question – of desperation – ‘How could it have come to that?’ In the face of a defeated Hitler that finally incited me to put pen to paper about what I remembered, what I knew and had experienced in the years from 1933 to 1945.

‘What were the exceptional circumstances that granted me the licence to chronicle those times which I lived through at first hand, as a child and as a young man, between the ages of 11 and 24, in what I may claim to have been the true sense of the word ‘intimately’?

‘It was the era of German history known variously as the Third Reich, the Thousand Year Reich or ‘Hitler’s Germany’ that turned out to be so traumatic for the German people that as a consequence these days the subject is taboo, insofar as an objective analysis – of foreign policy at least – is concerned.

‘For the reader to judge whether or not I have the legitimate right to express my views, let me use the English saying: ‘Take it or leave it!”

Rudolf Von Ribbentrop’s My Father Joachim von Ribbentrop, published in English for the first time by Pen And Sword Books, is available here.

Left: Hitler greets Ribbentrop following the conclusion of the Naval Agreement with Britain, 1935. Right: Signature of the German-Soviet Pact of Non-Aggression on 23 August 1939 in Moscow by Ribbentrop. From 1938 to 1939, he tried to persuade other states to align themselves with Germany for the coming war

Signature of the Pact of Steel between Italy and Germany, 22 May 1939. Von Ribbentrop sits next to Hitler and was responsible for setting up many of the treaties which paved the path for war. Ribbentrop met frequently with leaders and diplomats from Italy, Japan, Romania, Spain, Bulgaria, and Hungary. During all this time, Ribbentrop feuded with various other Nazi leaders

Author Rudolf von Ribbentrop pictured in 2016. The striking photos are included in Rudolf Von Ribbentrop’s ‘My Father Joachim von Ribbentrop’, a frank description of the SS soldier’s relationship with his father when he was the German Ambassador in London and during the war years. This is the this first English Language edition of his memoirs which were first published in German in 2008

Boots may close over 200 shops after warning that crippling business rates are piling pressure on the high street.

The chemist has placed the stores ‘under review’ with insiders saying a large number are likely to shut.

The news comes just days after the company’s boss called on ministers to reform ‘unfair’ business rates.

Boots is one of Britain’s largest retailers, with about 2,500 shops and 56,000 staff. Its business rates bill was £144million in 2018 on sales of £6.8billion.

200 Boots stores across the UK have been placed under review. Some 60,000 staff are employed by the company

By contrast, web behemoth Amazon paid just £63.4million on sales of £11.5billion.

The Daily Mail has called on the Government to strike a fairer balance between physical and online shops with our Save Our High Streets campaign.

Boots joined other big companies to urge ministers to reform the system after a ‘bloodbath’ of shop closures last year saw 93,000 jobs lost.

The chemist is owned by the US group Walgreens Boots Alliance. The shops under threat are in areas where Boots has more than one store – or has leases about to expire.

The review, thought to affect more than 200 shops, is set to last 12 to 18 months.

Walgreens Boots Alliance was formed from a major merger five years ago between Walgreens and Boots Alliance. Boots itself was founded in 1849

Boots boss Sebastian James told MPs on the Treasury Select Committee last week that business rates – based on how much a company’s properties are worth – were ‘a real problem’.

Which restaurants are closing amid the high street bloodbath?

Jamie Oliver’s chains last week became the latest casualties among the bloodbath sweeping the British high street, with 22 of 25 restaurants closing with immediate effect.

Dining chains Giraffe and Ed’s Easy Diner revealed in March that their owner plans to close a third of the brand’s sites.

Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) announced that a total of 27 out of its 87 restaurants would close. It bought Giraffe from Tesco in 2016 and combined it with Ed’s Easy Diner after acquiring the chain that same year.

Giraffe (pictured) is among the casualties of the bloodbath sweeping the British high street

In November, creditors of Gourmet Burger Kitchen approved a plan to close 17 of the premium burger chain’s restaurants, putting around 250 jobs at risk.

Also in 2018, Prezzo announced that 94 of its 300 outlets will close.

His appearance came as several well-known retailers prepare to close shops this year, including Debenhams, New Look and Sir Philip Green’s Topshop.

Mr James said: ‘We do not have to look very far to see that some names that have been on the high street for decades – if not hundreds of years – are closing their doors, going into administration…and most of them will cite property costs.’

Mr James also revealed Boots had lodged appeals against business rate bills nine years ago – but had yet to receive any rulings from the Government.

He said the current rates system should be replaced with a levy on sales reported by retailers, echoing a proposal made by Tesco boss Dave Lewis.

Speaking to MPs alongside Mr James, John Lewis property boss Chris Harris added: ‘There needs to be action now. There has been an unprecedented change in the high street very recently and the business rates system is cumbersome and slow to react to that.’

Helen Dickinson, of the British Retail Consortium, said yesterday: ‘Our business rates system imposes huge costs on firms regardless of whether they are in profit or in loss. This is neither fair nor sustainable.’

Chancellor Philip Hammond last year announced £900million worth of business rates relief but this has been dismissed by critics as ‘tinkering around the edges’.

Last night a Boots spokesman said: ‘We currently do not have a major [closures] programme envisaged but, as you’d expect, we always review under-performing stores and seek out opportunities for consolidation.

‘We are being realistic about the future and the fact that we will need to be agile to adapt to the changing landscape.’

WH Smith has been named the worst chain on the high street yet again.

It finished bottom of a survey by consumer group Which? – and has now been in the bottom two for nine years in a row. Richer Sounds came top.

The chain’s American parent, Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), warned it had suffered its ‘most difficult quarter’ since its formation

Bloodbath on the High Street: How shops went from bustling to bust

2018 saw one of the worst years for the UK High Street with retailers shutting their doors and plaguing homes across the country with many job losses.

Crisis hit brands such as House of Fraser and Marks & Spencer fought to keep stores open while other retailers such as New Look pushed for a solution to stop store closures and job losses.

In 2018 nearly 85,000 retail jobs were lost in the UK as businesses continued to go bust as 1,000 retail business went into administration between January and September.

As well as this the number of retail outlets left empty was up by 4,400 in 2018 according to data from the Local Data Company.

High Street giant Gap has also announced it will close 230 stores worldwide as its US parent company launches a massive restructuring programme.

The pressure on High Street retailers has hit an all-time high as they continue to try and keep up with the ever growing popularity of online shopping.

Online retailers are able to keep prices low as they don’t face the massive rental costs of physical stores or the staff rates.

While retailers battle the rise in online shopping they are also being forced to battle Brexit, as many supply chain routes and whether or not they will be available in a no-deal scenario have put added cost worries onto retailers as many consider stock piling their items or not importing them at all.

Here are some of the big name retailers which have lost out as they face fierce competition from the rise of online shopping

Carpetright

The carpet retailer is closing 92 stores across the UK. These closures represent nearly a quarter of all UK Carpetright stores.

Toys R’ Us

The UK’s largest toy shop went into administration in February 2018, leading to an estimated 2,000 redundancies.

House of Fraser

The department store chain was on the verge of heading into administration but was rescued at the eleventh hour by Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley.

Maplin

The electronics giant has gone bust, closing shops across the country and putting thousands of jobs at risk.

Mothercare

The baby and toddler chain is closing 60 shops across the UK putting up to 900 jobs at risk.

Poundworld

Poundworld announced it was going into administration on June 11 after talks with potential buyer R Capital broke down, putting 5,100 jobs at risk.

Homebase

The DIY chain set to close 42 DIY outlets shut, putting around 1,500 jobs at risk.

Marks & Spencer

The retailer announced in May it plans to close 100 stores by 2022, putting hundreds of jobs at risk.

In August stores in Northampton, Falkirk, Kettering, Newmarket, New Mersey Speke, Stockton and Walsall all ceased trading.

Orla Kiely

Orla Kiely, the Irish fashion retailer collapsed in September and closed all its stores after a slump in profits.

HMV

In December HMV entered into administration with its flagship London Oxford Street having closed earlier this year.

L.K Bennett

Fashion brand L.K Bennett announced it was filing for administration on March 1, 2019. Linda Bennett sent employees an email early in the morning to inform them of the news before it hit news outlets.

From humble herbalist to World War One aspirin pioneer – how Boots the Chemist became High Street giant

Jesse Boot was made a partner in his father’s firm after leaving school at the age of 13. He joined his mother in running and expanding the family business

1849: John Boot opened the first herbalist store in Nottingham offering an affordable alternative to traditional medicines. The Thomsonian system of healthcare, first developed in the US, appealed to the devoutly religious John, as it offered a practical approach to enable the poorest to help themselves

1870: John’s widow, Mary Boot, and son, Jesse began trading as M & J Boot, Herbalists after Jesse left school at the age of 13. The sale of herbs was a big feature and included roots, plants, and flowers collected locally, dried on the parlour walls at the back of the shop and then powdered

1877: Jesse took sole control of the business and launched the campaign ‘health for a shilling’ offering traditional medicines at greatly reduced prices

1884: Jesse Boot appointed his first qualified pharmacist, Edwin Waring. His dispensing services were offered at half the price charged by the other chemists in Nottingham

1885: Early manufacturing took place in a small cottage close to the store in Nottingham, before expanding to a factory. Within a few years Boots had taken over the entire factory and acquired further properties nearby

1892: A flagship department style store was opened in Pelham Street, Nottingham with products available from the dispensary, perfumery and stationery on the ground floor to pictures, glass and fancy goods upstairs. The store ‘took the public fancy amazingly’ and became the model for future Boots stores

1915: During WW1 Britain lost its supply of chemicals from Germany. Jesse brought together a team of experts to begin the research and manufacture of key synthetic chemicals such as aspirin. Boots claimed that their aspirin was the ‘purest on the market’. The company was soon supplying the British Government with medicines for field hospitals

1935: The original ‘Number Seven’ range was the company’s answer to providing a prestigious but affordable beauty range

1939: The launch of Soltan addressed customers’ desire for a non-greasy lotion. The summer of 1939 helped to make the brand an instant success

1951: Boots became the first UK chemist store to introduce self-service stores. Boots opened its first self service store at Burnt Oak, Edgware in London

1983: Boots trialled its first optical in-store practice in Nottingham and followed it with six further practices in the following year

1985: Boots received the Queen’s Award for Technological Achievement for the discovery and development of ibuprofen

1987: Boots Opticians was formed. The first free standing Boots Opticians practice opened in September 1987, in Durham

2009: Merger of Boots Opticians and Dollond & Aitchison to form the second largest optical chain in the UK. Launch of BootsWebMD.com offering customers a health and wellness information portal. Launch of No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum

2010: Boots brands were sold directly to third party retailers in the US and other countries. Boots Pharmaceuticals launched

GHOST TOWN

HELL IN HIGH WATER

A DWP spokeswoman said the stats should be treated with caution and added: “Since January this year we have answered almost 3.4 million calls to the helpline and latest figures show that people wait less than three minutes on average before their call is answered.”

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Nigel Farage has dismissed Jeremy Hunt’s claims that pursuing a No Deal Brexit would be ‘political suicide’, in a direct intervention in the Tory leadership contest as the race for Number 10 turned toxic last night.

The triumphant Brexit Party leader said it was ‘absolute rubbish’ for Mr Hunt to suggest he could negotiate a better deal with Brussels than Theresa May.

The Foreign Secretary had warned that a PM intent on pursuing No Deal would be brought down by Parliament, prompting an election which the Tories could lose.

But rival camps accused Mr Hunt of a U-turn after he previously argued the country would ‘flourish and prosper’ after Brexit even without a negotiated agreement.

Dominic Raab and Matt Hancock challenged their leadership rivals to sign up to a ‘clean campaign’ pledge;

Rory Stewart publicly denied claims he was acting as a ‘suicide bomber’ to take out Boris Johnson with a series of outspoken attacks;

Broadcasters attempted to bounce leadership candidates into TV debates by announcing plans for head-to-head battles apparently without the party’s agreement;

Former chief whip Mark Harper and former Brexit minister James Cleverly will join the race this week – taking the number of contenders to an astonishing 12;

It emerged that an online campaign to get Mr Johnson into the final run-off was being run by a prominent political blogger;

Theresa May warned that a No Deal Brexit would not be ‘best for the UK’ as she arrived at a summit in Brussels;

Commons Speaker John Bercow said that MPs in Parliament would inevitably ‘have their say’ on whether they wanted the country to leave without an agreement.

Mr Farage intervened directly in the race during his LBC show, which he hosted from Brussels where Mrs May was meeting EU leaders.

‘Every single person here in the European Commission, and leading groups in the European Parliament, will not change by one dot or comma that withdrawal agreement,’ Mr Farage said.

‘The truth of it is, if a Parliament tried to stop a Prime Minister leaving on that date and he ran a general election campaign on a No Deal, he actually would win a massive majority in the House of Commons.’

Mr Farage also slammed Mr Hunt for proposing a new UK negotiating team which would not include members of the Brexit Party.

Some Tory leadership candidates including Boris Johnson (pictured) have reacted to the party’s mauling at the European elections by vowing to leave the EU without a deal if necessary

Sajid Javid’s police officer pledge

The Home Secretary said he would spend £1billion over three years to put bobbies on the beat ‘in every corner of the country’.

Mr Javid, who is standing in the Tory leadership race, said his recruitment drive would end the ‘culture of impunity’ enjoyed by criminals.

He also contradicted Theresa May, who has repeatedly denied that police had cuts are to blame for the rise in serious violence.

‘More police on the beat means less crime on our streets,’ he wrote in an article for The Sun.

‘Not exactly rocket science is it?

‘But what’s obvious in towns and cities across the country is not quite as clear cut in the rarefied corridors of Westminster and Whitehall – and it’s time for that to change.’ He added: ‘I would make police numbers a top priority. And continue work to peel back layers of bureaucracy.

‘That means 20,000 more coppers. Not sat behind desks, but pounding the pavements.

‘It’s what the police want, it’s what the public wants, and it’s what I will deliver.

‘I want to see a return to bobbies on the beat in every corner of the country.’

After declaring victory in the early hours of Monday Mr Farage had demanded that his victorious party be allowed to take part in talks with Brussels.

Speaking about Mr Hunt today he said: ‘He’s also pledging to create a new UK negotiating team – I wonder where he got that idea from?

‘That’s going to include some new members of the Conservative party and the DUP, but absolutely no mention of course of the offer I made on behalf of the Brexit Party.

‘I just don’t think that Jeremy Hunt and others in Westminster have listened and understood the implications for their party of what happened to them on Sunday night.’

Speaking to one listener who called to blast the Tories, Mr Farage said: ‘I’m going to invite Jeremy Hunt to come into the studio one Sunday morning. We’ll get him to take some calls and get him to understand what the mood of people like you is.’

In a round of interviews yesterday, Mr Hunt said the Conservatives would be committing ‘political suicide’ if they tried to force a No Deal Brexit.

He said a PM intent on forcing No Deal would be brought down by Parliament. That could force a general election which Mr Hunt said could put Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street.

‘I think we have to be careful about saying we will definitely leave the EU on a fixed date – deal or no deal,’ he said.

‘The risk of that is Parliament might try to stop a No Deal Brexit, as they have done, and we would be pushed into a general election.’

Mr Hunt said it was important to ‘find a different way to get a deal’, adding ‘we have to have a go at this’.

He added: ‘The only solution to the extremely difficult situation we’re in – and I don’t want to pretend that there’s an easy way through this – is to change the Withdrawal Agreement.’

Jeremy Hunt (left) has clashed with Esther McVey (right) over the prospect of a No Deal Brexit in the first sign of open conflict between Tory leadership rivals

Defending the Brexit Party’s absence from a possible negotiating team, he said Mr Farage was not in Parliament and did not want a deal.

But leadership rival Esther McVey fired back at his ‘political suicide’ comments, saying: ‘Political suicide actually lies in not having a clean break from the EU and not leaving on October 31.’

And a source on another leadership campaign said: ‘It is pretty extraordinary.

‘Jeremy Hunt has had more positions on Brexit than Jeremy Corbyn – he cannot make up his mind on whether he wants No Deal or to back Theresa May’s deal. He cannot be trusted to lead the Tory Party.’

The bitter row underlines the growing divide of the candidates in the race to succeed Mrs May.

Tory leadership contenders including (l-r) Andrea Leadsom and Dominic Raab were among those to issue dire warnings for the Conservative Party if it cannot sort out Brexit fast

The Conservatives fell to a humiliating fifth place in the European elections, falling behind the Brexit Party, the Lib Dems, Labour and the Greens.

Boris Johnson vowed to take Britain out of the EU on October 31, ‘deal or no deal’, if he is elected Tory leader.

Mr Johnson, Andrea Leadsom, Dominic Raab and Miss McVey have all made clear they want the UK to get out of the EU at all costs by the end of October – the next deadline set with Brussels.

But International Development Secretary Mr Stewart, Health Secretary Mr Hancock and now Mr Hunt have warned against trying to force a No Deal departure.

Other contenders have yet to spell out their positions, with Home Secretary Sajid Javid again dodging questions from reporters yesterday.

This map shows how the Brexit Party topped polls almost everywhere in England and Wales. The Tories did not come first in any council areas

Mr Gove last night signalled that he would not support a No Deal either as he warned that any scenario which ended in a general election risked Brexit being cancelled altogether.

He said: ‘We must leave the EU before we have an election. Otherwise we will be punished at the ballot box, Corbyn will be in Number 10 propped up by the SNP, and Brexit may well be reversed altogether.’

Kit Malthouse yesterday became the tenth Tory MP to declare they will stand. The housing minister admitted he was an outsider but said there was ‘a hunger for someone new’ in No 10.

Former Tory chief whip Mr Harper, who has been mulling a run for the top job for the past few days, has told friends he will announce his candidacy this week. Meanwhile, Brexit minister Mr Cleverly is thought to also be preparing to throw his hat in the ring.

On his show Mr Farage also renewed his fury at Remainer claims that pro-EU parties had collectively done better than Brexiteers at the European elections.

Some Remainers have argued that the results show a combined pro-EU vote running ahead of the pro-Brexit vote

Mr Farage gave his own interpretation of the results as he tackled the claims that were being circulated by Remainers on social media

The Lib Dems, Greens, Change UK and Scottish and Welsh nationalists won more votes between them than the combined efforts of the Brexit Party and Ukip.

But that sum fails to take account of the pro-Brexit Tories. If they are included in the Brexit column, pro-Leave parties were stronger overall.

Moreover, Mr Farage’s movement won far more votes and seats than any other individual party.

On his show Mr Farage held up a Lib Dem leaflet from before polling day in which Labour and the Tories were named as pro-Brexit parties.

‘In their leaflets they tell you – the Conservative and Labour parties were choices for a form of Brexit,’ he said.

‘That shows you some of the trickery that was going on.’

Corbyn ‘will announce Labour backing for second referendum within days’

Jeremy Corbyn could announce Labour’s backing for a second referendum within days, it has been claimed.

The party leader has faced huge pressure to commit to a more decisive line on Brexit since his party was thrashed at the European elections last week.

Labour fell to an embarrassing third place behind the Liberal Democrats, who took a much more avowedly pro-Europe position – prompting calls for Mr Corbyn to back a new public vote.

Now senior Labour figures have said he is poised to back a second referendum, the Mirror reported.

One shadow Cabinet minister said a decisive move would ‘give our membership confidence again that they can get back on the doorstep’.

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured outside his London home) could announce Labour’s backing for a second referendum within days, it has been claimed

John Bercow (pictured in the U.S. on Tuesday) said it was not ‘sensible to vacate the chair’ while the ‘momentous events’ of Brexit were taking place

Bercow will continue as Commons Speaker

John Bercow has revealed he will stay on as Speaker of the House of Commons, denying claims he was set to quit this summer.

Mr Bercow said it was not ‘sensible to vacate the chair’ while the ‘momentous events’ of Brexit were taking place.

The former Tory MP, who took the job in 2009 and initially promised to step down by 2018, rejected claims he would go in July, the Guardian reported.

He has frequently clashed with Tory MPs who have accused him of ‘making it up as he goes along’ in a series of controversial rulings over Brexit procedure.

Earlier he insisted MPs would have a say over a No Deal Brexit, saying it was ‘unimaginable’ that Britain would crash out without Parliament influencing events.

‘The House will want to have its say, and the idea that the House won’t have its say is just for the birds,’ he said.

The default position is that Britain will leave on October 31 and it is unclear whether Parliament could stop a Prime Minister intent on pursuing No Deal, but Commons rules have proven flexible in recent months.

Speaking to the Brookings Institution in Washington, Mr Bercow said: ‘The appetite of the House to have its say has recently been whetted and that appetite is not exhausted, indeed some would say it’s voracious.

‘As to where we go from here, my own view is that we have to see who emerges as the next Prime Minister.

‘Parliament is a big player in this. The idea that Parliament is going to be evacuated from the centre stage of debate on Brexit is unimaginable. It is simply unimaginable.’

Current law states that the UK will leave on October 31 so Parliament may have to defy the new PM’s wishes and change the law to force another postponement if Britain is heading for No Deal.

In April, rebel MPs did succeed in passing a law which mandated Theresa May to ask Brussels for an extension.

But the remaining EU member states still have to agree a delay, meaning Parliament could not change the Brexit date by itself even if it passed another law.

The Commons could also pass a resolution rejecting No Deal, which would apply huge political pressure to the PM but would not legally bind them.

Alternatively, MPs could bring the Government down with a motion of no confidence, but this might not allow time to change the exit date.

Asked whether a PM committed to No Deal could force it through, Mr Bercow said: ‘My reading of the situation is that legally the default position in the absence of an agreement is Brexit on October 31.

‘There can, however, be a difference between what the law says and what political movements between now and then decrees.

‘I’m not saying that Brexit without a deal will happen and I’m not saying that it definitely won’t. I am saying that Parliament and individual parliamentarians will have strong views about these matters.

‘There is a difference between a legal default position and what the interplay of political forces in Parliament will facilitate.’

‘The idea that there is an inevitablity of a No Deal Brexit would be a quite wrong suggestion. There is no inevitability whatsoever about that.’

Mr Corbyn has toed a careful line on a second vote, concerned that Labour would be wiped out in its former northern heartlands if it was seen to be sabotaging Brexit.

He has demanded a general election and spoken only vaguely of keeping a second referendum on the table.

But his position has come under fierce scrutiny after Labour’s embarrassment at the European polls.

Labour finished behind the Liberal Democrats in pro-Remain London – including in the party leader’s own Islington backyard.

After the results came in Mr Corbyn inched closer than ever before to backing a so-called People’s Vote, saying any Brexit deal ‘has to be put to a public vote’.

Pro-EU MPs Wes Streeting and Ben Bradshaw both spoke of difficult doorstep experiences as Labour was derided for its equivocal position on Brexit.

Ms Abbott said there was ‘no inherent contradiction’ between respecting the result of the 2016 referendum and having another poll.

‘I’ve always argued that it’s perfectly possible that Leave would win again but we’re supporting a People’s Vote strongly now because it’s the right thing to do and it’s the democratic thing to do,’ she said.

She went on: ‘Our position is that ideally we want a general election – if we can’t get a general election in time, we would support a People’s Vote.’

Deputy leader Tom Watson has also backed a second referendum, saying: ‘We’ve lost many hundreds of thousands, if not millions of potential votes in that election because we got it wrong.’

He told the BBC: ‘The time is now to show some humility, to listen and to move very, very quickly.’

And former prime minister Tony Blair said he had voted Labour ‘without great enthusiasm’ as he too pushed for the party to throw its weight behind a referendum.

He said Mr Corbyn ‘has got to come to a clear position’, telling Sky News: ‘The one that is very obvious is that both party leaderships have made the same mistake, which is to think that it’s possible to sit on the fence on Europe and appeal to both sides.

‘What the European elections show you is that isn’t possible.’

However union boss Len McCluskey has urged Labour to stick to its current position and try to bring Leavers and Remainers together.

The leader of the Unite union has urged Labour to stay united, ready to govern to ‘transform the country’ despite the party’s poor showing in the Euro polls.

‘The blame lies firmly with the Tory party which has handled the Brexit process disastrously causing despair and disillusion among voters driving many to (Nigel) Farage and his simplistic offer,’ he said.

‘Labour has been the only party that has sought to unite the nation on Brexit and this is an honourable objective that must not be abandoned.

‘This is the time to hold our nerve because the true prize is the very real possibility of a looming general election.

‘That is the opportunity for Labour to go to the people to present its programme to transform our country, rebuilding our communities and restoring hope to those who feel abandoned by Westminster.

‘Faced now with the serious prospect of a no deal Tory prime minister, Labour must stay united and show the country that it is ready to lead.’

Meanwhile the party was engulfed by a further row after Mr Blair’s former spin doctor Alastair Campbell was thrown out of the party for supporting the Lib Dems.

Alastair Campbell was yesterday expelled from Labour after he admitted he had not voted for the party for first time in his life, in disgust at the party’s stance on Europe

Speaking outside his north London home, Mr Campbell said he will appeal the expulsion and warned Labour faces ‘oblivion’ unless it clarifies its Brexit position.

‘I think that there are people in Jeremy Corbyn’s office, senior positions in Jeremy Corbyn’s office, who have recommended voting against the Labour Party,’ he said.

‘You can interpret the rules in all sorts of different ways, but one thing I know is I’m not going to leave the party just because some random email comes in telling me that I’ve been expelled.’

Mr Campbell, a key player in the New Labour era, declined to rule out shunning the party again in a snap general election and said it would ‘depend’ on its Brexit policy.

He described his rapid expulsion as ‘strange’ and said ‘people will inevitably draw the contrast with the lack of rapidity in dealing with cases involving anti-Semitism’.

Labour rules say members who support a party other than Labour are automatically ineligible for membership.

Humiliated Theresa May finally gets sympathy from the fellow European leaders who helped make Brexit impossible for her as she arrives in Brussels

A humiliated Theresa May faced European leaders who spent months hardballing her over Brexit yesterday – as Nigel Farage revelled in his election triumph and told her the UK must leave by October 31 at the latest.

She met a host of EU bigwigs including outgoing European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels today for her last summit as Conservative leader.

A grim-faced PM insisted she would keep fulfilling her ‘obligations’ despite being forced to announce her departure from Downing Street last week.

But Mr Farage, who was also in Brussels for separate discussions, told reporters the next Tory leader should say the UK is leaving in October come what may, and give the EU five months to come to the table with a counter-offer.

Theresa May was consoled by EU leaders including Jean-Claude Juncker (pictured) over her political demise yesterday as she attended a summit in Brussels

Bolstered by the trouncing the Brexit Party inflicted on the Tories and Labour, securing an extraordinary 29 MEPs, he said: ‘We give an ultimatum to Brussels rather than the other way round’.

Arriving at her final summit as Tory leader Mrs May said the results were ‘deeply disappointing’ for her party and showed ‘the importance of actually delivering on Brexit’.

She said: ‘I think the best way to do that is with a deal, but it will be for my successor and for Parliament to find a way forward to get a consensus and I hope those election results will focus Parliament on the need to deliver Brexit’.

Mrs May is embraced by Dutch premier Mark Rutte while Belgian leader Charles Michel (right) looks on in Brussels

Mrs May is in Brussels for what will be her last summit as Tory leader after she quit last Friday

Eye to eye: Theresa May and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker – who have previously clashed in Brussels summits – meet again in the Belgian capital

Mrs May appeared to see the funny side as she filled in EU counterparts including Mark Rutte (centre) and Xavier Bettel (left) about the political disaster that has befallen her in the UK over recent weeks

Mr Juncker revealed his first meeting was with Mrs May and said he was ‘crystal clear’ that Brexit talks are over with Britain, adding: ‘There will be no renegotiation’.

The premier has also met EU council president Donald Tusk, who is thought to have delivered a similar tough message.

France and Germany appeared on a collision course over who should hold one of the European Union’s most coveted jobs, after weekend elections across the 28-nation bloc redrew Europe’s political map.

Arriving in Brussels for an EU summit, French President Emmanuel Macron virtually ruled out the prospect of German politician Manfred Weber replacing Jean-Claude Juncker as the new president of the bloc’s executive arm, the European Commission.

There was even an embrace from Mr Rutte, who has been one of the European leaders most in the UK’s corner during the negotiations

Mrs May was hugged by a series of EU leaders as they seemingly voiced sympathy at her plight and the political difficulties that have laid her low